June 08, 2008, 11:34PM

The last time Big Brown and Da' Tara were at the same racetrack at the same time, the former romped in the Grade I Preakness Stakes, the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, and the latter ran second in the ungraded Barbaro Stakes on the Preakness undercard. The last time -- indeed, the only time -- that Big Brown and... Full story »

June 06, 2008, 1:24AM

First choice: Big Brown The unchallenged divisional leader has won his five career starts by a cumulative 39 lengths, including such decisive victories in last month's Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes that he is 2-5 to become racing's 12th Triple Crown hero in tomorrow's Grade 1, $1-million, mile-and-a-half Belmont ... Jockey Kent Desourmeaux lost the Triple Crown by a nose... Full story »

June 03, 2008, 11:48PM

Saturday will be an important day of racing at Belmont Park. Big Brown will try to become racing's 12th Triple Crown champion, and while another victory by this unbeaten colt will seem inevitable to many, there are sure to be other excellent and wide-open races to handicap. After all, the New York Racing Association, if nothing else, knows how to... Full story »

June 03, 2008, 5:17AM

Big Brown is a great horse. But it appears the people around him are a great big pain in the neck. There is his trainer, Rick Dutrow, who has a checkered past. There is one of his owners, Mike Iavarone, himself possessed of a dubious background. Dutrow has admitted using drugs and has been suspended by racing authorities for repeated... Full story »

May 27, 2008, 11:39PM

Here is a list of Horses to Follow gleaned from the charts of last weekend's races at Belmont Park. Note that the races were stakes, allowances and (primarily) maiden-special-weight events. They were on dirt and on grass. And they were for open company and state-breds. In other words, the races offered a fairly varied menu, with an emphasis on lightly... Full story »

May 23, 2008, 5:48AM

When? When will the state's political leaders pick a gaming operator for Aqueduct? The bidding deadline was April 25. Five days later, the bidders made their presentations in closed-door sessions with staff members for Gov. David Paterson, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who must approve the deal. But still there has been no announcement as... Full story »

May 18, 2008, 11:43PM

And the winner was ... The New York Racing Association. When Big Brown won in his expected romp in Saturday's Preakness Stakes, he established himself as the decisive favorite for the June 7 Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park. Victory in that race would give Big Brown the Triple Crown -- and anticipation of the triumph will pack the track straddling... Full story »

May 16, 2008, 2:38AM

First choice: Big Brown This colt is the likely odds-on favorite after making his career record 4 for 4 with an authoritative victory in the Kentucky Derby ... He cleared a number of hurdles in the Run for the Roses, including a glaring lack of seasoning and a highly unfavorable post (20) ... Now he is being asked to overcome... Full story »

May 08, 2008, 5:39AM

The humane destruction of Eight Belles after Saturday's Kentucky Derby has resulted in a spate of protests by animal-rights advocates, along with at least one newspaper column that, to paraphrase, categorized horse racing as very few steps removed from Michael Vick's favorite pastime, animal fighting. Now comes another development following the elite filly's demise: The New York Racing Association, says... Full story »

May 05, 2008, 5:14AM

For the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby, we conjured up at least an equal number of reasons not to play the victorious Big Brown on top. We were wrong. This is a great 3-year-old. But whether he will be Horse of the Year should be settled in a showdown with Curlin, last year's best sophomore and 2007's best thoroughbred.... Full story »

May 02, 2008, 12:50AM

First choice: Colonel John His sire Tiznow won the Breeders' Cup Classic twice at the Derby's mile-and-a-quarter distance, suggesting he has the pedigree to prevail ... He also has a come-from-behind style that generally has thrived in the Triple Crown opener ... The colt put that late speed to profitable use in the Santa Anita Derby, passing three hard-running rivals... Full story »

April 28, 2008, 5:00AM

They must have been listening to us. Shortly after our most recent blog effort on Friday, when we wondered aloud if the New York Racing Association had gotten a license extension, the New York Non-Profit Racing Association Board extended the racing agency's short-term franchise to July 13. Presumably, this will give NYRA and the state time to finally hammer out... Full story »

April 25, 2008, 5:29AM

Perhaps we missed it. Perhaps not. But has the New York Racing Association finally gotten its official, 25-year license renewal from the state? The last we heard, NYRA was operating under one of its numerous, temporary extensions. That arrangement is set to expire this Sunday. A spokesman for Gov. David Paterson said a few weeks ago that negotiators were stuck... Full story »

April 18, 2008, 5:20AM

Want a long shot for the Kentucky Derby? If so, you might want to consider a play on Z Fortune in the May 3 Triple Crown opener. The colt, trained by Steve Asmussen, also conditioner of Derby contender Pyro, seems to be coming up to the Run for the Roses in excellent form. In last weekend's Grade 2 Arkansas Derby... Full story »

April 15, 2008, 12:19AM

As stated in the last installment of Trackside, the biggest question surrounding Pyro going into Saturday's Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland was whether the colt could handle the track's Polytrack surface. We thought Pyro was a 3-year-old of sufficient talent to cancel out the issue of the synthetic footing and win the Lexington, Ky., oval's major prep for the May... Full story »